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Commission publishes guide on application of ‘Habitual Residence Test’ for social security

13/01/2014

A practical guide on the 'Habitual Residence Test' to help Member States apply EU rules on the coordination of social security for EU citizens that have moved to another Member State has been published by the European Commission.

The guide, drafted in cooperation with Member States, clarifies the separate concepts of ‘habitual residence’ and ‘temporary residence’ or ‘stay’. These definitions, laid down in EU law (Regulation EC/883/2004 as last amended by Regulation EU/465/2012), are necessary to establish which Member State is responsible for the provision of social security benefits to EU citizens moving between Member States.

Under EU law there can be only one habitual place of residence and so only one Member State responsible for paying residence-based social security benefits.

Employees and the self-employed qualify for social security in the country where they work and non-active people (e.g. pensioners, students) qualify in the Member State where they are "habitually resident". Determining a person's Member State of "habitual residence" is also important for workers that work in more than one Member State.

The guide recalls the specific criteria to be taken into account to determine a person's place of 'habitual residence' such as:

family status and family ties

duration and continuity of presence in the Member State concerned

employment situation (in particular the place where such activity is habitually pursued, the stability of the activity, and duration of the work contract)

exercise of a non-remunerated activity

in the case of students, the source of their income

how permanent a person's housing situation is

the Member State where the person pays taxes

reasons for the move

the person's intentions based on all the circumstances and supported by factual evidence.

Other facts may also be taken into account if relevant.

The guide also provides concrete examples and guidance on cases in which the determination of the place of residence can be difficult, such as frontier workers, seasonal workers, posted workers, students, pensioners, and highly mobile inactive people.